Martinsville City Council members were updated last week on a plan to overhaul recreation in the region.
The purpose of the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Outdoor Recreation Plan is to create a 15-year roadmap for communities to make changes to their recreation assets, like parks and trails. Patrick and Henry counties, along with Martinsville, are among the areas taking part in developing the regional plan.
The plan envisions “increasing the economic impact of outdoor recreation, improving quality of life for residents, and elevating current assets to ensure long-term sustainability and economic growth.”
The plan is led by the Friends of Southwest Virginia and is largely funded by grants from organizations including the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Ultimately, the goal is to beef up the area’s outdoor recreation to increase tourism, according to Jen Otey, outdoor recreation development manager for the Friends of Southwest Virginia.
City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides asked how best to make outdoor recreation a “highlight” of the community.
“Your timing is wonderful because one of the priorities that council has … is the park,” Ferrell-Benavides said. “We do know [Baldwin Park] is one the community wants us to take care of and preserve.”
Johnson said Baldwin Park plays a large role in the overall plan.
It was identified as a city park that could use improvements, said Tim Johnson, the outdoor recreation planning director for Destination by Design, a western North Carolina planning and engineering firm that has worked on several Blue Ridge projects.
“That park has been neglected for decades,” said Martinsville council member Kathy Lawson. “It is overgrown as far as the foliage, and it’s just been ignored.”
Mayor LC Jones mentioned the need for improved lighting and parking.
Johnson said that the project is currently in the design phase. Next steps include additional planning and a community input session sometime in May. The final step is to have a concrete plan incorporating all suggestions from the public, city and county officials.
“The final 15-year action plan will encompass all recommendations, a phasing schedule, and an outline of potential grant funding sources,” reads information from the city.
Johnson suggested city officials take a closer look and provide feedback on the process.
